Lucy's flashing eye, which puzzled Lizzie not
a little. Owing to the storm, Mr. Dayton's country cousins did not, as
was their usual custom, come into town to dine with him, and for this
Lucy was thankful, for she thought nothing could be more disagreeable
than to be compelled to sit all day and ask Cousin Peter how much his
fatting hogs weighed; or his wife, Elizabeth Betsey, how many teeth
the baby had got; or, worse than all the rest, if the old maid, Cousin
Berintha, were present, to be obliged to be asked at least three
times, whether it's twenty-four or twenty-five she'd be next
September, and on saying it was only twenty-three, have her word
disputed and the family Bible brought in question. Even then Miss
Berintha would demur, until she had taken the Bible to the window, and
squinted to see if the year had not been scratched out and rewritten!
Then closing the book with a profound sigh she would say, "I never,
now! it beats all how much older you look!"

All these annoyances Lucy was spared on this day, for neither Cousin
Peter, Elizabeth Betsey, or Miss Berintha made their appearance. At
the dinner table Mr. Dayton remarked quietly to his daughters, "I
believe you have given up attending the party!"

"Oh, no, father," said Lucy, "we are going, Lizzie and I."

"And what about your dress?" asked Mr. Dayton.

Lucy bit her lip as she replied, "Why, of course, we must dress to
suit you, or stay at home."

Lizzie looked quickly at her sister, as if asking how long since she
had come to this conclusion; but Lucy's face was calm and unruffled,
betraying no secrets, although her tongue did when, after dinner, she
found herself alone with Lizzie in their dressing-room. A long
conversation followed, in which Lucy seemed trying to persuade Lizzie
to do something wrong. Possessed of the stronger mind, Lucy's
influence over her sister was great, and sometimes a bad one, but
never before had she proposed an open act of disobedience toward their
father, and Lizzie constantly replied, "No, no, Lucy, I can't do it;
besides, I really think I ought not to go, for that pain in my side is
no better."

"Nonsense, Lizzie," said Lucy. "If you are going to be as whimsical
as Miss Berintha you had better begin at once to dose yourself with
burdock or catnip tea." Then, again recurring to the dress, she
continued, "Father did not say we must not wear them after we got
there. I shall take mine, anyway, and I wish you would do the sa